SUICIDE AND SELF-INFLICTED INJURIES

The present study addressed itself to the problem of self-inflicted in juries (SII) in the Israeli army, and to the wider question whether no n-fatal self injuries and suicide are part of the same phenomenon. The findings show that in some cases SII is an unsuccessful suicide while in others SII is anything but a reflection of a death wish. It appear s that the modus operandi is a major indication as to the intentions o f the actor. The study also demonstrates the difference between the po pulation of the suiciders and that of the SII victims. While suiciders seem to score higher on the Performance Prediction Score (PPS) and Co mbat Suitability Scale, the SII population seems to be overly represen ted in the lower parts of the PPS and the Combat Suitability Scale. Th e study used a data set that represents a 5 year period, and followed the consequences of the SII in terms of medical status and occupationa l assignment of the actors. The findings yielded some possible policy implications, in terms of a better classification of the relevant popu lations, and a possible attribution of a more refined meaning to the b ehavior. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.